Why I Stopped Eating Meat

Becoming a vegetarian always seemed far into the distance in my wellness journey; I thought taking that leap meant sacrificing a big part of my identity and that, by becoming a vegetarian, I wasn't having a lasting impact on anything.

Anna Pelzer, Unsplash

However, after almost an entire semester in an Environment & Society class, my mentality was proved wrong pretty quickly,

It all changed when my professor introduced the concept of our carbon footprints. According to the University of Michigan, "A carbon footprint is the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused directly and indirectly by an individual, organization, event or product" So what activities produce those emissions? These activities can range from driving your car to work to feasting on a piece of steak and even taking a shower. Of course, the way you engage with these activities will determine the percentage of gas emissions you produce. If you want to see your consumption percentage from each category, you should check out this carbon footprint calculator!

Once I found out that my most significant contributor to gas emissions is eating meat, I decided to make a change. I was further convicted when I read that meat production is responsible for 20.4% of global warming emissions (Green America), the leading cause right after electricity and heat. This takes into account meat's entire life cycle; meat production, especially red meat, requires an incredible amount of feed, water, and land.

When we release those greenhouse emissions while we eat meat, the environment and our bodies suffer. Greenhouse gasses are responsible for our air pollution, which in turn contribute to respiratory diseases. Rising temperatures, less freshwater, and species extinction are just a couple more far-reaching consequences of gas emissions.

However, by not eating meat, you can reduce those food-related carbon emissions by a whopping 60%! Furthermore, cutting off only red meat from your diet reduces it by a quarter. Making changes to your meat-eating habits is the single best way to lessen your negative impact on the environment.
So what can you do to reduce your carbon footprint from the pervasive phenomenon of meat consumption?

1. If you are not willing to completely give up meat, you can reduce the amount of red meat you eat. According to the New York Times, red meat can have up to 100 times the environmental impact compared to plant-based food.

2. You can become Lacto-ovo vegetarian like I did! This vegetarian follows a primarily plant-based diet, with eggs and dairy being the exception. Although eggs and dairy have a larger environmental impact than other protein sources such as nuts and chickpeas, it is still significantly lower than meat. I invite you to have this digital protein scorecard handy to check your protein's impact on the environment. Also, here are other types of vegetarians you can research about.

3. Although this takes effort and a lot of willpower, you can become a vegan! Again, not consuming any animal products or by-products can reduce your footprint to up to 60%!

4. You can talk to others about the impact greenhouse gasses have on the environment and the ways they can reduce them by altering their meat-eating habits.

I believe the most important aspect of evaluating our carbon footprints is the aspect of grace. I absolutely love Romans 8:1-2 that says: "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death."

I absolutely love this passage because it reminds me that we can decide that we are craving Chick-fil-A and not feel guilty about indulging in a deluxe sandwich since we are now free in Christ. Yet, in that freedom, we should be faithful stewards of our environment as an expression of our thanksgiving to God. If that means reducing our red meat intake, becoming a Lacto-ovo vegetarian, or going full-on vegan, I believe this is a call worthy of our undivided attention.